© Andrej Brummer – 2014. 1 Introduction to Selecting and Planning a Saltwater Aquarium ............................ 8 A note about being a saltwater aquarium owner: .................................................... 8 The cost of setting up a saltwater aquarium and being a responsible owner: ......... 9 Before you start setting up your tank: ................................................................... 11 Planning your saltwater aquarium correctly .......................................................... 12 Aquarium types: Fish-Only Systems ..................................................................... 16 Aquarium types: Fish-only With Live Rock Systems ............................................. 18 Aquarium types: Reef Systems............................................................................. 20 How to Choose an Aquarium Size and Where to Put It ........................................ 22 How to Choose Fish for Your Aquarium ............................................................... 23 Stocking Your Tank With Marine Life .................................................................... 24 What Commonly Goes WRONG When It Comes To Stocking ............................. 24 Making a Livestock Stocking Plan ........................................................................ 25 Stocking Your Tank The First Time ...................................................................... 26 Stocking Invertebrates .......................................................................................... 27 Marine Life Stocking Tips and Tricks .................................................................... 27 An Introduction to Choosing Marine Fish That are Compatible With Your Aquarium and With Each Other ............................................................................................ 29 Deciding What Goes In The Tank ......................................................................... 30 Putting Fish Into Your Tank .................................................................................. 33 How To Choose The Right Happy, Healthy Fish Specimen For Your Tank .......... 34 This is how you choose the right specimen for your saltwater aquarium: ............. 36 …At The Fish Store: ............................................................................................. 36 Selecting Marine Invertebrates ............................................................................. 37 The Look of your Saltwater Aquarium ................................................................... 39 Necessary Equipment: For Healthy Saltwater Aquariums .................................... 41 The other vital aquarium components are: ........................................................... 43 Vital Components 1: Filtration ............................................................................... 43 1. Mechanical filtration: ......................................................................................... 45 2. Physical filtration: .............................................................................................. 46 3. Chemical filtration: ............................................................................................ 47 4. Biological Filtration: ........................................................................................... 48 What Makes An Effective Bio Filter?..................................................................... 50 The Best Product is Nature! .................................................................................. 50 Choosing your Filter .............................................................................................. 51 Power/Canister style filters: .................................................................................. 54 Undergravel filters: ................................................................................................ 54 © Andrej Brummer – 2014. 2 Fluidised bed filters: .............................................................................................. 55 Wet / Dry (Trickle) Filters: ..................................................................................... 55 The Role of Filtration in Your Tank ....................................................................... 56 Lighting Your Saltwater Aquarium ........................................................................ 58 Lighting Fish-only and FOWLR tanks ................................................................... 59 Lighting a reef tank ............................................................................................... 61 Reef Tank Lighting Overview ................................................................................ 62 My Opinions on Reef Lighting Selection ............................................................... 63 Keeping Corals Happy Under Lighting .................................................................. 64 How To Choose Your Lighting Wisely! ................................................................. 65 Placement of Photosynthetic Marine Life Under Lights ........................................ 66 Heating/Chilling Your Saltwater Aquarium ............................................................ 66 Substrate For Your Saltwater Aquarium ............................................................... 67 Setting Up a Saltwater Aquarium The Right Way. ............................................... 68 Setting Up: Tank Design and Layout .................................................................... 68 The Aquascape .................................................................................................... 69 Saltwater Aquarium Decorating Options ............................................................... 70 Preparing the Water & Filling the Tank ................................................................. 71 Putting Your Saltwater Aquarium Together .......................................................... 72 Biological Cycling of Your Saltwater Aquarium ..................................................... 74 Initiating the biological cycling of your aquarium; the easy way! ........................... 75 What Happens In a Cycling Tank? ....................................................................... 76 What Phase of The Cycling Process is Your Tank in? .......................................... 77 Stocking Your Tank After Cycling ......................................................................... 78 Looking After Your Beneficial Bacteria ................................................................. 79 Maintaining Your Saltwater Aquarium ................................................................... 79 Daily Maintenance ................................................................................................ 80 Weekly Maintenance ............................................................................................ 80 Monthly tasks ........................................................................................................ 82 Other Maintenance ............................................................................................... 82 Saltwater Aquarium Maintenance A to Z .............................................................. 83 1. Partial water changes: ...................................................................................... 84 2. Cleaning filters and equipment: ........................................................................ 85 3. Visual inspection of you marine aquarium: ....................................................... 85 4. Algae control: .................................................................................................... 86 5. Water Quality Testing: ...................................................................................... 87 © Andrej Brummer – 2014. 3 How Do You Change The Water In A Saltwater Aquarium? ................................. 88 Marine Tank Janitors: Saltwater Aquarium Clean-up Crew .................................. 91 Creating a Perfect Environment ............................................................................ 93 1. Ensuring Good Quality Water: .......................................................................... 93 Why is Water Quality so Important to Saltwater Aquariums? ............................... 93 Poor Water Quality Can be Fatal .......................................................................... 94 The Keys to Good Water Quality .......................................................................... 95 Testing Water Quality ........................................................................................... 96 How pH works in your tank and how to adjust it ................................................... 99 Ammonia/Ammonium, Nitrite and Nitrate: ........................................................... 100 Water Hardness: ................................................................................................. 101 Carbonate Hardness (dKH): ............................................................................... 102 Salinity/Specific Gravity: ..................................................................................... 103 Phosphates: ........................................................................................................ 104 Calcium: .............................................................................................................. 105 Here are 2 easy to use